Valve



March 21, 1939; H. E. MALONE VALVE Filed Dec. 24, 1934 .Hbmer E flazone fig fi M Patented Mar. 21,1939

VALVE Homer E. Malone, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application December 24., 1934, Serial No. 758,952

. 3 Claims.

This invention relates to valves and more particularly to those types of valves that are capable of automatic and manual operation.

An object of this invention is to provide a valve 5 of the character described wherein a single means is provided for regulating the automatic operation of the valve and to move the valve to open and closed positions.

Another object is to provide a valve structure cooperable with associated valve seats wherein the valve structure is moved towards one of the seats by a condition responsive device'against the action of an adjustable biasing means and wherein 7 manual means are provided for adjusting the biasing means and for moving the valve towards the other seat.

A further object is to provide a novel adjusti device for regulating the automatic operation of a valve and for'moving the valve to held opened or held closed positions, said adjusting device comprising a. member that is moved through successive steps to control the action of the valve.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims and drawing in which:

' Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the valve of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the valve and show- 80 ing the sequence of operation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantia'lly on the line III-III of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken subber l3. Located adjacent the upper extremity of a the port opening I4 is an annular seat l5 and located adjacent the lower extremity of port open- 45 ing I4 is another annular seat l6. Fluid to be valved is supplied to the inlet chamber l2 in any .suitable manner, not shown, and the valved fluid 'is drawn oil from the outlet chamber l3 in any suitable manner, not shown.

50 A flanged member 25 having a longitudinal passage. therethrough is secured and held in fluidtight relationship with a. collar member 21 by means of a nut 26 being screw-threaded on the flanged member 25. The collar member 21. is 'in 55 turn screw-threaded into the lower portion of the a flanged member 25 and the lower portion of the tube 29 is closed in a fluid-tight manner by means of a cap 30 soldered in the tube 29. A reinforcing tube 3| is rigidly secured within the tube 29 and a baflie member 32 having a restricted opening 10 therein is in turn rigidly secured in the reinforcing tube 3|. The tube 29 is adapted to receive a charge of volatilefluid in the manner to be pointed out hereinafter.

Secured to the upper end of the flanged mem- 15 ber 25 in coaxial alignment with the tube 29 is. a guide member 39, having an opening therethrough and having radially extending notches 40 therein. Also secured in fluid-tight manner to the upper portion of the flanged member 25 is 20 one end of a bellows 4|. The other end of the bellows 4| is secured in a fluid-tight manner to a movable enclosure member 42. The movable enclosure member 42 has a downwardly extending boss 43 with a downwardly extending passage 25 44 located therein. An abutment screw 45, having an enlarged head is screw-threaded into the lower portion of the boss 43. A spring 46 surrounds the abutment screw 45 and is adapted at a certain times to engage the boss 43 of the movable 30 enclosure member 42. The movable enclosure member 42 is also provided with an upwardly extending boss 41 which has a vertical passage 48 in engagement with the downwardly extending passage 44 of the boss 43. The vertical passage 48 of the upper boss 41 is provided with a removable screw plug 49.

By removing the removable plug 49, a charge of suitable volatile fluid may be inserted in the vertical passage 48 and may flow through the downwardly extending passage 44 into the bellows 4| and down through the guide member 39 into the tube 29. when the charge oi' volatile fluid has been inserted in the manner described, the plug 49 is inserted in the passage 48 to seal the same. Upon an increase in temperature acting on the tube 29, the volatile fluid contained therein will volatilize and cause expansion or the bellows 4i and consequent upward movement of the movable enclosure member 42. A decrease in 50 temperature acting on the tube 29 will cause condensation of the volatile fluid contained thereinto permit contraction of the bellows 4| and conse-, quent lowering of the movable enclosure member 42. In case the enlarged head of the abutment 5a.

volatile fluid through the guide 39 will be permitted by the radial slots 46 located in the lower extremity of the guide 38.

Although I have disclosed a condition respon sive means in the form of a temperature responscrew 45 should engage the guide 38, passage of enclosure upwardly extending boss 56 to at all times urge the enclosure member 53 in a downward direction towards its associated valve seat [5. The spring 64 is so selected that the efiort exerted by it is greater than the pressure of the fluid existing in.

sive means utilizing volatile fluid-tor moving the the chambers l2 and I3 whereby the movable movable enclosure member 42, it is within the enclosure member 53 is always held in engagecontemplation of this invention that the movable ment with the shoulder of the screw-threaded enclosure member may be moved by other means and responsive to other conditions. For example, the enclosure means 42 could be moved in response to changes in pressure instead of tempera-. ture and the pressure changes could easily be transmitted into the bellows 4| 'by a pipe or like means. I

The upper boss 41 is exteriorly screw-threaded to receive an interiorly screw-threaded member 58. A resilient disc member 5| which is rigidly secured in a fluid-tight manner .to a valve disc 52 is adapted to be clamped between the screwthreaded member 58 and the movable enclosure 8 member 42 so that upon upward and downward movement of the movable enclosure member 42, the valve disc 52 will also'be moved upwardly and downwardly. The valve disc 52 is adapted at certain times to engage the lower .valve seat [6 of I the port opening l4 and the resilient disc member 5| insures a good seating action. It will be noted at this point that the area of the bellows 4| is substantially the same as the area 01' the valve disc 52 whereby the inlet pressure acting on the valve disc 52-is balanced to prevent upward move- -ment oi the valve disc 52 by the inlet pressure acting thereon.

A second movable enclosure member or valve,

located in the outlet chamber I3, is designated at 53 and it has an upwardly extending bore 54 which is adapted to receive anupwardly extending extension 55 of the screw-threaded member member 58. By reason of this, the movable enclosure member or'valve 53 is held in a fixed relation with respect to the valve disc 52 whereby member or valve 53 and guided by the.

these two elements are moved in unison. The

- tube 28. Y

The abutment member 63 is provided with slots 65, which receive downwardly extending lugs 66 of a screw 61. By reason of these slots 65 in the abutment member 63 and the lugs 66 rotational movement of the screw 61 is prevented. The. screw 61 has a passage extending therethrough, the lower portion of which is screw-threaded and adapted to receive .an adjusting screw 68. The adjusting screw 68 abuts against the abutment member 63 and by moving this adjusting screw 68, the abutment member 63 is moved with respect to the screw 61 to adjust the tension placed in the spring 64. This provides convenient means for initially calibrating the spring 64.

The exterior screw threads of the screw 61 engage and coact with screw-threads formed in.a member 68 which is in turn rigidly secured in a nut 16. By making the screw-threadson the member 69 separable from the nut 10, the cost of manufacturing is thereby reduced since the parts are more easily machined. The nut 10 is provided with an outwardly extending flange II which abuts against the guidemember 59. The nut 18 is held in place for rotation by means of a screw-threaded collar 12 which is screw-threaded in the cap member 6| and which overlies the flange ll of the nut 18. Located between the for purposes to be described more fully hereafter.

ber 53 is provided with an upwardly extending screw-threaded collar 12 and the flange H is a abutment boss 56 inwhich the bore 54 is located friction bearing disc 13 which permits easy rotation of the nut 18 with respect to the station- The movable enclosure member 53 acts as a valve 'ary screw-threaded collar I2. By rotating the member and engages at predetermined times the nut I0, the screw 61 is moved upwardly and upper valve seat [5 of the port'opening l4.

The lower end of a bellows 58 is secured to the movable enclosure member or valve 53 in a'fluidtight manner and the'upper end of the bellows 58 is also secured to a guide member 58 in a fluidtight manner. The bellows 58 is of substantially the same area as the valve or movable enclosure member 53 whereby the outlet pressure acting adapted to receive a hexagonal abutment mem- I ber 63 as clearly shown in Fig. 4. By reason of this hexagonal relationship, the hexagonal abutment member 63 is permitted tomove longitudinally-in the guide member 58 but rotation thereof is prevented. A spring 64 extends bedownwardly to place more or less tension in the spring '64 to determine at which temperature the force of the volatile fluid contained in the tube. 29 will overcome the force of the spring 64 to move the valve disc 52 to its seat I 6 to close the port opening l4.

The nut 18 is provided with an upwardly extending boss I5'to which is rigidly secured a collar member 11 as by means of splines 16. The collar member 11 is in turn rigidly secured as by means of splines '18 to a'reinforcing member 19 which is molded into a composition handle 88. ,The handle 88 is provided with a pointer 8!. -The handle 88 is held in place on the nut 10 bymeans of a screw 82. By turning the handle 88, the nut 16 is also turned to give longitudinal movement to the screw 61. By removingthe screw t2,v the screw 68 may be adjusted asby means of an Allen wrenchto calibrate the spring 64.

Clamped between the cap member 6| and the screw-threaded collar 12 is an annular member 83 to which is secured a cover 84 by means of screws 85. Secured to the upper surfaceof the cover 84 by means of rivets 8'6 is a dialplate 81 which coacts with the pointer 8| of the handle to the outlet chamber i3. Upon a decrease-in temperature acting on the tube 29, the volatile fluid contained therein will decrease the pressure existing in the bellows 4| to permit expansion of the spring 64 to move the valve disc 52 away from its seat I6 to permit communication between inlet chamber i2 and outlet chamber l3. Excessive downward movement which would normal-- ly be caused by a decrease in temperature is prevented by downwardly extending boss 43 engag-- ing the relatively strong spring 46. When the boss 43 so engages the spring 46, the valves 52 and 53 are equally'spaced from their respective seats l6 and I to give maximum port opening between the inlet chamber |2 and the outlet chamber I 3. Upon an increase in temperature as 'determined by the tension in the spring 64, the volatile fluid in the tube 29 will volatilize to create a pressure within thebellows 4| to cause upward movement of the valve disc 52 against its seat l6.

' The position of the handle 80 as shown in Fig.

, 2 and designated low temperature corresponds to the positionof the parts as shown in Fig. 1 wherein the spring 64 is in its longest adjustment to afiord least resistance to upward movement of the valves 53 and 52. In such a position, only a relatively low temperature acting on the tube 29 is required to overcome the spring 64 to move the valve 52 to a closed position.

. By turning the handle 80 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, toward the warmer direction, the nut will be turned a like amount to cause downward movement of the screw 61. This downward movement of screw 61 causes an increase in compression in the spring 64 whereby a greater volatile fluid force acting on the bellows 4i and consequently a highertemperature is required to overcome the spring 64 to move the valve disc 52 to its seat l6. When the handle 80, as viewed in Fig. 2, is so moved that the pointer.8l thereof falls along the high temperature line, the screw 61 will be moved downwardly in such an amount that the lugs 66 will just engage theupwardly extending boss 56. When the screw 6'! has been moved to this position, the spring 64 is compressed its greatest amount thereby requiring the highest temperature acting on the tube 29 to move the valve 52 to its seat. From the above, it is seen that when the handle 86 is so positioned that the pointer 8! thereof is located between the low temperature indication and the fhigh temperature indication automatic control of the valve is obtained and the valve will be opened and closed according to temperature changes acting on the tube 29 which temperature changes are determined by the position of the handle 80.

Further counter-clockwise movement from the high temperature indication as seen in Fig. 2 causes further downward-movement of the screw 61. Since the lugs 66 formed integral with the screw 61 are in engagement with the upwardly extending boss 56 of the movable enclosure member 53, the movable enclosure member or valve 53 will be moved in a downward direction. This movement causes the movable enclosure member or valve 53 to move toward its seat l5 and the pointer 8! thereof coincides with the held open indication of Fig. 2, the valves 53 and 52 will be moved downwardly to such an extent that they will be equally spaced from their respective seats [5 and Hi. When the valves 53 and 52 are moved "to this position, the lower boss 43 of the movable .handle 80 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction sufliciently far so that the pointer 8i thereof aligns with the held closed indication of Fig. 2, the valves 53 and 52 will be moved downwardly to such an extent that the valve 53 will engage the valve seat l5. This further downward movement of the valves 53 and 52 is permitted by compressing the spring 46. When the valves are moved into this extreme downward position, the passage i4 between the inlet chamber l2 and the outlet chamber [3 is closed by the valve 53 engaging the valve seat l5 and when the parts are in this position the valve as a whole is held closed and any temperature variations effecting the tube 29 will have no effect to move the valve out of this position.

From the above, it is seen that I have invented a valve that is automatic in operation and that may be manually moved to a held open position or a held closed position and wherein a single means is provided whereby the valve may be moved to a held open or held closed position or whereby the temperature setting of the valve may be adjusted to cause automatic operation of the valve at various conditions or more specifically degrees of temperature.

It is obvious that many modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art and consequently this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automatic valve comprising a valve cham ber, a partition having a port therein and separating said chamber into inlet and outlet passages, said port having valve seats on each side of said partition, a valve member comprising a pair of rigidly connected valve elements disposed on opposite sides of said'partition and cooperating with said valve seats, condition responsive means for causing movement of said valve member in accordance with variations in the condition to which said device is responsive between a position wherein one of the valve elements is in engagement with the corresponding valve seat and a position wherein neither of the valve elements is inengagementwith the valve seats, means biasing the valve member towards the last named position, a movable member, and means responsive to movement of said member in a single direction to first increase the force of said biasing means, to next positively hold the valve elements in a position wherein neither element is in engagement with its valve seat and to lastly hold the other of said valve elements positively in engagement with its valve seat.

2. An automatic valve comprising a valve chamber, apartition having a port therein and separating said chamber into inlet and outlet passages, said port having valve seats on each side of said partition, 9. valve'member comprising a pair of rigidly connected valve elements disposed on opposite sides of said partition and cooperate ing with said valve seats, condition responsive means for, causing movement of said valve member in accordance with variations in the condition to which said device is responsive between a position wherein one of the valve elements is in engagement with the corresponding valve seat and a position wherein neither of the valve elements is in engagement with the valve seats, means biasing the valve member towards the last named posi-' tion, and a rectilinearly movable member cooperating with said biasing means and said valve member to successively increase the force of the biasing means, to positively hold the valve elements in a position wherein neither element is in engagement with its valve seat, and to hold the other of said valve elements positively in engagement with its valve seat in response to movement of said member in a single direction.

3. A device comprising valve casing means, valve seating means, rigidlyconnected valve elements cooperating with said valve seating means, condition responsive means for causing movement of said valve elements in accordance with condition variations to which said device is responsive between positions wherein one of said valve elements engages said valve seating means and a position wherein said valve elements do not engage said valve seating means, means biasing said valve means to said last named position, a movable member andmeans responsive to movement of said member in one direction to increase the force of said biasing means, to next positively hold the valve elements in a position not in engagement with said valve seating means, and to lastly hold the other of said elements positively in engagement with said valve seating means.

' HOMER E. MALONE. 

